EU-Gulf summit in Riyadh postponed after Houthi attacks

The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council postponed a summit planned for Oct. 24 in Riyadh on Thursday, citing continuing Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, and have not set a new date.

The delay is a visible setback for Saudi Arabia’s effort to show business as usual. The summit was to bring European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU leaders together with leaders of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to discuss energy, trade and security, Business Standard reported, citing Bloomberg.

The two blocs issued separate statements. The Gulf group cited “continued attempts to target the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its civilian infrastructure” and “the extension of the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport,” according to that report. The European Commission said the EU “remains committed to deepening this partnership” and pointed to momentum since the first EU-GCC summit in October 2024.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the Houthi attacks “totally unacceptable” and urged more ships for the EU’s Red Sea mission, CBS News reported in its live updates. Reuters also reported the postponement, according to an overnight briefing from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

The Houthis, the Iran-backed group that controls Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, have struck Saudi targets repeatedly this month. Bloomberg reported that drone and missile attacks over the past week killed at least 18 people and injured hundreds. Separately, the Saudi-led coalition says attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh have killed 17 people and wounded 333 this month, ABC News reported. The coalition said on Thursday it intercepted a cruise missile over Medina. The Houthis called that claim “a shameless and brazen lie,” CBS reported.

Other events have been moved or scaled back. The Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition was shifted to Dec. 27 and the Asian Tour postponed its Saudi International finale, CBS reported. Canada News Media reported on Oct. 14 that Saudi Arabia let guests of the Future Investment Initiative join remotely. Reuters, citing three sources, reported that JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank have told Saudi-based staff they can work from home.

Canada is not a party to the EU-GCC format, but the same attacks affect Canadians in the region. Canada’s ambassador in Riyadh, Jean-Philippe Linteau, said the embassy “remains open for Canadians who are in need of consular assistance,” as Canada News Media reported on Oct. 11. Travellers connecting through Riyadh should check the federal travel advisory for Saudi Arabia and confirm flights with their airline.

The fighting inside Yemen is also escalating. On Thursday, Houthi missiles struck the presidential palace in Aden, and Yemen’s health minister said five people were killed. The Saudi-led coalition said it hit 136 Houthi targets earlier in the month, according to an earlier Canada News Media report.

Both blocs said they will agree on a new date later. Whether it can be held in Riyadh will depend on when flights resume at King Khalid International Airport, which has had no announced reopening date in the reports reviewed. This story is developing.

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Via Business Standard (Bloomberg), CBS News and ABC News.